It is kind of interesting that without the United States, there probably wouldn't even be a "EU" to live up to. At least not under the current flag. Go down the list of nations, and tally off the ones that would today be totalitarian regimes without the influence of America.

I know it's an allied force that liberated Europe from the Nazis (not just the US). I know De Gaulle shaking hands with Adenauer wasn't exactly a US initiative.
Old colonial powers have supported totalitarian regimes, so has the US and what about the pro-US arab countries that aren't exactly democracies, even today?